


Life in the Barracks

by breakdancingsigma (hetawholockvengerstuck)



Series: The Daily Lives Of... [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-09
Updated: 2014-08-19
Packaged: 2017-12-26 01:28:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 8,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/959981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hetawholockvengerstuck/pseuds/breakdancingsigma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of stories about the 104th Trainee Squad and the Survey Corps, and their lives off the battlefield.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Story Time

It was Armin who started the tradition. One night, after a particularly harrowing battle, when no one was really eating their dinner, he took a book from under the table and began to read.

“Once upon a time, there lived a woman who owned only one cow. She told her son, “Jack, take our cow to the market, and make sure you get a good deal. Bring back as much food as you can.”

Soon, everyone had gathered around the table where Armin, Eren, and Mikasa were sitting, listening to Armin read _Jack and the Beanstalk_. Armin’s voice was perfect for reading aloud; it dropped to a stage whisper at parts where Jack was sneaking around the castle, rose to an urgent yell when he was running away, changed in tone—if not pitch—for every character. When Armin was finished, there was complete silence. Then, someone said, “Jack sounds a lot like Eren,” and Jean answered with, “But Eren would have killed the giant and his wife the minute he saw them,” and a discussion ensued, trying to draw parallels and arguing about the accuracy (“Giants living in houses? Hoarding treasure? And what sort of giant harbors a human and keeps him safe from her husband?”). Before dinner ended, Christa had asked Armin if she could borrow the book.

The next night, from the same book, Christa read _Cinderella_. Even the men listened carefully—though how much of that could be attributed to the storyteller was up for debate. Once again, at the tale’s conclusion, there was a debate, and a few discussions of how it would play out within the walls. Then Connie asked to borrow the book.

Every night after that, someone read a story: Connie recounted the legend of Johnny Appleseed, almost from memory; Reiner, to the surprise of many, chose _Beauty and the Beast_ ; Hanji found another old book called _The BFG_ and read from it for a week; Ymir read _Aladdin. T_ he next night, put on the spot to read a tale, Mikasa chose _Rapunzel_ , and was one of the few who didn’t actually enjoy the story. Jean particularly liked _Robin Hood_ , and was asked to read it again; when it was Eren's turn, they listened to the story of Hercules; and Bertholdt read _Three Billygoats Gruff_. Sasha’s favorite was _Hansel and Gretel_ , something that almost everyone had grown up hearing—but instead of a titan, Sasha’s version had a witch living in the candy house, and everyone agreed it made much more sense. When pressed, Commander Erwin told the tale of someone named Davy Crockett. Levi, bothered nonstop by Hanji's pleas, read from a book of Greek mythology whenever it was his turn.

Once everyone had read something, it circled back to Armin. New books were found hidden in the most unlikely places. They rotated tales from _Arabian Nights_ , took turns reading chapters of an old set of books called _Harry Potter_ , and, one night, sang their favorite nursery rhymes. The tales of successful heroes and memories of a time when children could sleep soundly sustained the members of the Survey Corps, bolstering their confidence and restoring their faith. At night, they’d chase away nightmares with dreams of daring thieves, crafty animals, and powerful warriors.

Come morning, they got up and fought their own impossible battles. 


	2. The Christa-Armin Dilemma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I did.

Ymir yawned as she entered the mess hall. Despite sleeping in, she was tired and slightly grumpy, so she was relieved to see that there were very few people left.

As she approached the counter where she would receive her breakfast, she noticed Christa, standing by a table, talking to Mikasa. Odd, but Christa was a friendly girl.

Ymir looked down and smirked. As she passed Christa, she said, “Morning, Christa,” and, reaching out, gave her friend’s butt a good squeeze.

Christa yelped; Ymir froze. The voice had been too deep for Christa…

 _Oh, damn_ , she thought. Even before he turned around, she knew she’d mistaken Armin for Christa.

Again.

///////

Eren was in trouble. He faced a dilemma worse than anything he’d ever faced before, something that he would either succeed in or screw up completely.

He needed help with his homework. They were still giving the ex-trainees school work, trying to keep them fit for other employment should something like an injury or other reason for discharge arise. He’d gone in search of Armin…and found him seated beside Christa.

Problem was, Eren wasn’t sure which one was Armin.

He looked back and forth between the two blonds. Armin would be furious if his best friend mixed him up with Christa.

_Let’s see…Armin was wearing white today, wasn’t he? Or was that yesterday? Yes, it was definitely yesterday._

The person on the right was wearing a cream-colored shirt. Eren placed a hand on their shoulder. “Hey, Armin, do you think—oh, Christa! Sorry…”

Eren looked to his left and cringed as Armin gave him the stink eye.

Again.

///////

Jean was starving. Dinner had been served late, and Jean was doing his best to stay in a good mood, despite his low blood sugar. Still, he could tell he was scaring people off.

As he passed Armin, he reached out and playfully mussed his hair. “Hey, Armin!”

“Eep!”

“Oh! Sorry, Christa! Really, I’m sorry. I thought you were…where is Armin, anyway?”

Across the room, as if in answer, Armin yelped.

“Will you PLEASE stop grabbing my butt, Ymir!”

“You’re kidding! You _again?_ ”


	3. Kitchen Duty

Most soldiers dreaded kitchen duty. It was hot, sweaty, unfulfilling work, watching everyone else eat while you slaved over a hot stove. Many were banned from actually trying to cook anything. After a month or so, the newcomers from the 104th Trainee Division learned to deduce who was on kitchen duty by the food that was served.

When it was Sasha’s turn, they had potatoes. That was the only constant. She cooked things she had eaten in her village, hearty meals made for working farmers. Sasha promised that one day she would make something called ‘haggis’ for the whole army. The few who had heard what exactly that was were the ones who really, really hoped there would never be enough sheep for that.

Levi’s turn meant delicious onion soup, and, occasionally, snails, which the corporal called ‘escargot’. Opinions on the dish were divided; people like Reiner, Hanji, Sasha, Armin and Eren couldn’t stand it, while Bertholdt, Mikasa, Annie, Connie, Jean, and Erwin enjoyed it wholeheartedly.

Jean never cooked anything of his own; instead, he was assigned to help Connie. It had quickly become obvious that Connie was not to be allowed alone in the kitchen; he’d lose track of his work, and everything would come out burnt or undercooked. Jean had to make him focus, doing a lot of the preparation and cooking himself—although he was never officially on kitchen duty. Hamburgers were common on those nights.

Christa was no good at cooking, but with some help from the other ex-trainees, she was learning to bake. Whenever Reiner and Bertholdt were on kitchen duty, she’d provide dessert—often with help from Reiner, Jean or Levi.

Ymir was also a lousy cook, preferring to munch on whatever could be found lying around. She, along with Annie and Eren, wasn’t given kitchen duty often, but unlike the others, she wasn’t even allowed to help out. Too much food had gone missing.

Mikasa tried her best to remember the recipes her mother had made, but often found herself improvising. At first, it was awful, and people dreaded her turn as chef. Over time—and with a little help from Hanji (who was a big fan of Japanese cuisine)—Mikasa improved, but no one could ever mistake her for a five-star chef. 


	4. The Conversations of Bored Soldiers Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I laughed while writing this.

_Boredom loves company_. It was something Armin had learned soon after joining the Survey Corps. Whenever anyone got bored, they always seemed to end up in the room Armin shared with Eren. No one had ever asked if it was okay; it had just happened. The unspoken rule that Armin and Eren would always get to sit on the beds was the closest to asking for permission that anyone ever got.

On this particular night, it seemed like everyone was bored. Even the girls were crowded in the small area: Ymir on the top bunk, Sasha seated next to Armin, Mikasa beside Eren, Reiner and Bertholdt sitting cross-legged on the floor next to Christa and Annie, across from Jean and Connie. Various other people were wedged in the corners, observing more than talking.

In fact, not much was being said. It seemed everyone had exhausted topics like the weather, food, and politics; now there was an uncomfortable silence.

Then Ymir said, “Who do you guys think has the best ass?”

There were two major reactions to this statement: Armin and Christa gaped wordlessly, and Reiner and Connie burst out laughing. Everyone else just sort of sat there until Connie said, “It’s totally Mikasa, though.”

Calmly, Mikasa raised her foot and brought it down on Connie’s head—hard. Jean laughed.

“Did he seriously just answer that?” Ymir said, also laughing.

“Yep,” someone said.

“He’s wrong, though,” Jean said. “Not that your butt’s not great, Mikasa, but I think we can all agree that Armin’s got us all beat.”

“Watch it, Jean,” Eren said. “Touch him and you’ll have to deal with us.” He nudged Mikasa.

“I’m not coming on to him!” Jean protested. “It’s actually embarrassing how much better his ass is than mine.”

“Quit it, Jean,” Reiner said. “You’re making Armin uncomfortable.”

Indeed, Armin had gradually shrunk back into the shadow of the bunk bed. Sasha patted his arm.

“So,” Ymir said, “that’s one vote for Mikasa and two votes for Armin.”

“Two?”

“Sorry, Christa, I have to agree with Jean on this one.”

Armin glared at the mattress above him. “I _knew_ you were grabbing my butt on purpose!”

Ymir laughed. “Don’t worry, though, Christa, I’m sure Reiner will put in a vote for you.”

Both Reiner and Christa noticeably blushed and looked at the floor.

“What about Bertholdt?” Sasha asked. “His butt is pretty great, too.”

“Aww, Sasha, I was counting on you to vote for me!” Connie whined, smiling. 

“This isn’t about who you’d rather date, Springer!” Ymir called down. “This is ass quality. It’s very, very serious!”

“Sasha’s right, though,” Eren said. “Sorry, Bert, but I’ve been stuck behind you in drills so much, it was kind of hard not to notice.”

“Who’s gonna be the tiebreaker?” Ymir asked. “Armin and Bertl both have two votes! Mikasa?”

Jean leaned over to Connie. “ _If she says Eren, I swear to God…_ ”

“Annie.”

“Whaaat?” Ymir said, exaggerating surprise. “Not Eren?”

“He’s my family. Of course not.”

“But Annie? What a surprise.”

“You said it yourself, it’s not about dating. This doesn’t mean I like Annie.”

“Don’t worry,” Annie said, “the feeling is mutual.”

Ymir leaned over the railing of the upper bunk. “What’s your opinion, Annie?”

“I’m staying out of this one,” Annie replied, pushing a strand of hair out of her face.

“Come on, Annie,” Reiner said, reaching past Bertholdt to nudge Annie, “if we’re stuck doing this, you might as well.”

Annie sighed and folded her arms. “Armin.”

“And Armin takes the lead! Who hasn’t voted yet?”

Multiple fingers pointed at Bertholdt. Ymir smiled wide—too wide—and said, “Well, Bertl? Whose ass is best?”

“Um…”Bertholdt started to sweat even more. “I guess…Corporal Levi’s butt is pretty good…”

“What are you doing in here?” said a stern voice. Everyone froze and turned their heads to see Levi standing in the doorway, one hand on the doorknob. Bertholdt made a squeaky sound in the back of his throat and looked as if he would pass out from both embarrassment and dehydration.

“Heheh…funny story, corporal…” Ymir said.

“I don’t care to hear it. Just make sure you don’t leave a mess.” Levi backed out of the room and shut the door tightly.

For a moment, no one said anything. Then Connie sniggered, and Sasha coughed, and Eren tried and failed to hold back a giggle, and then everyone except Bertholdt was convulsing with laughter. Reiner clapped his friend on the back and Ymir almost fell off the top bunk.

“Can you…believe…he heard that?” she choked out between laughs. “Damn, Bertl…you’re so…screwed!”

Outside, Levi walked purposefully down the hall, up the stairs, and into his room. Once he was sure the door was shut, he burst into laughter. When Hanji found him, he was curled up on the floor, clutching his belly, and moaning “ow” and “my stomach” between guffaws.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whose butt do you like best?


	5. Jean's Hair Color

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I have come to realize that Annie is not, in fact, part of the Survey Corps. 
> 
> Can we just overlook that and move on? Maybe she goes off on her own and visits them from time to time.

One night, after dinner, Connie was ambushed.

"Whoa! Sasha, careful!" he said, reeling. Sasha had jumped on his back out of nowhere and wrapped her arms around his neck, nearly sending him sprawling face-first into the dirt. "What's going on?"

Ymir's voice answered. "We need your help, moron."

"Okay, okay! Just let me breathe!"

Sasha slid off Connie's back and whirled him around to face her. "Do you know what color Jean's hair is?"

Connie blinked. "Uh, is this a trick question?"

"Nope! Come on, tell us: black or brown? Which one is it?"

"How should I know?"

Ymir smiled in a way that put Connie on guard. "Then you'll just have to find out for us, won't you?"

"Ask him yourself!"

"I don't want you to ask him. Trust me, I've tried, and he won't answer. I want you to find out."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

Ymir sighed. "Do I have to spell it out for you? You guys have a communal shower, too, right?"

It took a minute, but eventually, Connie's eyes widened as realization dawned on him. "You can't be serious."

"There's the lightbulb!"

"I don't think you understand how communal showers work. I don't know about you girls, but for us, shower etiquette is just like public toilet etiquette: you don't talk, you don't make eye contact, you don't even acknowledge one another. You just stare straight ahead and get it over with."

"Please?" Sasha whined. "It's really important!"

"How is Jean's hair color important?"

"Ymir and I made a bet." Seeing Connie's expression, Sasha pouted. "Please?"

Connie tried, but he couldn't resist the puppy eyes. "Fine. But don't be surprised if they wheel me into breakfast tomorrow on a stretcher."

///////

True to his word, Connie arrived for breakfast the next morning with a black eye and several bruises. Sasha perked up when she saw him, and Ymir scooted over to make room.

"So?" Ymir asked. "Black or brown?"

Connie stared down at the table, eyes unfocused. "It's his natural color."

"Yeah, but which one?" Sasha asked.

Connie looked up at Sasha, but his gaze was somewhere beyond her. "Both."

For a few moments, neither girl said anything. Then Sasha grabbed her head and shouted, "How? How is that even possible?"

Ymir banged the table with her fist. "You've got to be kidding me! Who has two hair colors?"

" _So you caused this._ "

Connie flinched; Sasha and Ymir froze, then slowly looked up. Jean towered over them, radiating fury.

Sasha laughed nervously as Ymir, voice high with fright, said, "Hey, Jean! How ya doing?"

By now, everyone's attention was focused on the frightening figure of Jean Kirschstein and his three unlucky victims. Twenty minutes passed in uncomfortable silence until Connie said, "So...who won the bet?"

At the table behind Jean, Mikasa looked up from the book she was reading. "You both owe me a dollar."


	6. Photographs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dammit, Connie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My computer is dead, so I'm updating from my phone. I apologize for any errors.

It was all Jean's fault, really. If he hadn't been in such a bad mood, he wouldn't have picked a fight with Eren, and if he hadn't picked a fight with Eren, then Eren wouldn't have jumped out of his bed so fast that the precariously-perched pillowcase fell off, scattering its contents.

Across the room, Connie's face split into a grin that made Eren a tad bit nervous. Before he could react, Connie had leapt across the room and snatched up the photos.

"What've we got here? Are you keeping smutty pictures all to yourself?"

Eren looked over his shoulder at Armin, hoping for an ally, but the smaller boy was fast asleep. "Give 'em back, Connie."

Instead, Connie flipped the photos over. Immediately, his eager expression vanished. "What the..."

"I said, give 'em back!" Eren made a grab for the photos, but Connie yanked his arm away.

"Guys, take a look at this!"

Eren was shoved aside as the male cadets gathered around Connie.

"Is that...?"

"Holy shit, I didn't think that was possible!"

"She's kind of hot, isn't she?"

"Connie!"

"What? I'm making an observation! Hey, Eren--"

If he was going to say anything else, he was cut off by all 139 pounds of Eren Jaeger crashing into him.

"Give 'em back, dammit!"

"Help! Help! Why isn't anyone helping?"

"What the hell is going on in here?"

Eren and Connie froze. They didn't have to look to know that Keith Shadis was standing in the half-open doorway.

"You wimps are supposed to be sleeping! You'll never make it as a soldier if you waste your time relieving sexual tension instead of sleeping! Get your asses in bed before I change my mind and make you do laps!"

Too scared to giggle at their instructor saying 'sexual tension,' the male cadets scrambled into bed. Eren snatched the photos from Connie and discreetly hid them in his shirt. Slowly, Shadis shut the door; five minutes later, the sound of his boots told the cadets that he had left.

Eren let out a sigh of relief. Not thirty seconds later, he felt a cold hand plunge down his shirt.

"What the hell?!" Eren batted the arm away, but not before the arm's owner had achieved his goal. The photos zoomed past Eren's face.

"Got 'em, Connie!"

"Pass them here, Nac!"

Eren hopped out of bed, but the pictures were already halfway down the row. He simply stood in the middle of the barracks, fists clenched and throat choked with helpless rage.

"So, Eren," Connie said, "who's the hot lady in these pictures?" He ducked as a pillow came flying at him faster than a pillow should be able to fly; Jean took it to the face and toppled over.

"Don't talks about her like that!"

"Is she a cousin? An older sister?"

Tears of frustration were beginning to gather in Eren's eyes. Before he could answer, the door opened a second time.

"Hey guys!" Sasha whispered. "What was Shadis yelling at you about? Also, anyone have any food?"

"Get in there!" Ymir's voice hissed. "If Shadis sees us standing around out here, no one will get any food!"

A group of girls spilled into the boys' barracks and shut the door. Connie waved at Sasha.

"Check it out, Eren was hiding these photos!"

Mikasa's eyes, which had been fixed on Eren with an expression of concern, darted up to the photos in Connie's hands. "Give those back, Connie."

"Let me see!" Ymir said, dashing past Mikasa and Eren. "Whoa, is that...?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that cute little kid is Eren."

"You've gotta be kidding. He was adorable!"

"He looks totally different when he smiles, doesn't he?"

Most of the guys and all of the girls, sans Mikasa, had gathered around Connie, looking at the photos.

"Is that a tiny Mikasa I see?" Sasha gasped. "Jean, look!"

Connie held up one of the photos. "Who's that creepy guy behind Eren? He seems kind of familiar."

ReIner looked at the photo in question, and his grin vanished. "I think we should give these back to Eren now."

"Why do you have to be such a buzzkill, Reiner? What gives?"

"That man is Dr. Jaeger."

"So?"

Jean's smile vanished, too. "Damn, Connie, are you really that stupid? Think about it. It's a family photo. Who do you _think_ the woman is?"

It took a second, but Connie got the hint. He had the decency to look ashamed when he handed the photos back to Eren. "Sorry, man."

Eren snatched the photos back and stuffed them into his pillowcase. Then he flopped down on his bed, facing the wall and Armin's back, and closed his eyes.

Ten minutes later passed in silence, with Eren pretending to be asleep, even when he felt Mikasa sit beside him and rest her hand on his shoulder.

"Geez, Connie, you really screwed up this time."

"I said sorry! How was I supposed to know those were pictures of his family?"

"Oh, I don't know," one of the girls said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I mean, it's not like Eren looks _just like_ his mom, right?"

"Don't act like you weren't cooing over those pictures, too!"

"At least I wasn't calling his mother hot! Talk about insensitive!"

"Considering how closely Eren resembles his mom, I wouldn't be surprised if Eren was seriously creeped out by your obsession with his mom."

Connie's spluttering was cut off by Mikasa. "Just don't mess with the photos anymore." Her hand disappeared from Eren's arm. "I'm tired, and we have training tomorrow. I don't care whether you choose to sleep or not, but don't wake Eren."

The girls left, and the lack of yelling told the boys that Shadis hadn't found them.

"Speaking of sleep," Jean said, "I'm surprised we didn't wake Armin up."

"He's probably exhausted. Shadis really kicked our asses today. Poor guy's probably half-dead."

With minimal chatter the lanterns were extinguished. Eren waited until he was sure everyone else was asleep before nudging Armin's back. "Armin, you awake?"

"Of course I am."

"Sorry we kept you up."

"No problem." With some effort, Armin rolled over. "Are you okay, Eren?"

"Yeah. I just overreacted."

"I wouldn't say that. Those pictures are all you have left of your mom. I'd probably react the same way if I lost my grandfather's hat." Armin patted his pillow. "Mikasa's right, though, we should get some sleep."

Eren nodded and closed his eyes again. He ran his hand under his pillow until he felt the corner of a photo, and fell asleep like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for sad.


	7. Sasha's Doodles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternate chapter title: "How to Make Your Connie Blush".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains Springles. If you don't ship that, feel free to skip this chapter (or I guess it's vague enough that you could consider this platonic).

Sasha rarely paid attention in class. She didn't need to; everyone knew that you could just ask Armin a few questions about the lecture and he would explain the entire thing in a much more interesting way.

Instead of listening, Sasha doodled. Usually, the doodles made no sense--just patterns and shapes, or drawings of the back of people's heads, or stick figures.

Most of the time, Connie watched her draw. She was so into what she was doing that she never noticed his gaze drift to the page in front of her.

One day, during a particularly boring lecture on discarded theories, Connie looked at Sasha's paper and noticed a block-letter title: "Things I Like". A lot of the pictures came as no surprise--cheese, meat, bread--but one picture in particular caught Connie's eye.

Below the little pictures of food, Sasha had drawn a person. In loopy handwriting, she had labeled it _Connie_.

It wasn't easy to make Connie Springer blush, but that day, Connie spent the rest of the lesson hiding his face in his hands.


	8. Just Routine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Keith Shadis is human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the sad updates. Sort of.
> 
> Shadis is an honorary member of the Cadet Squad. Also, he was previously the commander of the Survey Corps, so...

"Marco Bodt, Mina Carolina, Thomas Wagner..."

The list of the dead seemed endless. Those listening were crying, or just plain numb, no expression on their face. In the midst of it all, Keith Shadis stood as stony-faced as ever, unmoved.

There wasn't much downtime after the battle of Trost. Bodies had to be collected and burned; the cadets had to be ready to choose their squad; Trost had to be cleaned up and made habitable again. The next crop of cadets had to be recruited, although no one expected much of a turnout. Shadis had his hands full for days.

When he finally had time to himself, he sank to the floor and allowed himself five minutes. Five minutes to cry, to mourn, to remember. Five minutes to feel the pain he'd felt on that fateful day, returning from the outside world with no progress, no hope, no consolation. Five minutes to despair over the lost potential of his dead cadets.

Five minutes with no composure. That was all.


	9. Mistletoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just what it says on the tin...or is it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a Survey Corps chapter.

The Survey Corp had spent all morning decorating for the Christmas celebration--although, nowadays, Christmas was a celebration of survival--and, finally, it seemed as if the preparations would be done before dinnertime. Christa and Mikasa were decorating the tree, Reiner and Connie were setting the table for the feast, and Bertholdt was holding the ladder for Ymir, who was hanging a sprig of mistletoe above the door.

"Almost...got it...there! Done!" Ymir finished with the mistletoe.

"Okay," Bertholdt said. "Here, I'll just move out of the way..."

"Nah, I've got this," Ymir said.

At that exact moment, the rest of the Survey Corp, with Levi in the lead, was arriving. Levi's eyes took in the mistletoe-- _barely visible from this side of the door, how sneaky_ \--then watched as Ymir hopped down, right under the mistletoe, right in front of him.

Faster than any human should be able to move, Levi whirled out of the way, tripping Sasha and sending her reeling ahead of him--and smack into Ymir. The shocked look on Ymir's face confirmed Levi's hypothesis: Ymir hadn't seen them coming. As for Sasha, well, she looked absolutely petrified.

"H-h-h-h-hi, Ymir!" she managed to say. "Um, I'll just be sitting down now..."

"Now, now, Sasha," Reiner said, an evil grin on his face, "you know the rules."

Sasha was on the verge of tears. Ymir sighed. "Forgive me, Christa. Hey, Sasha, quit blubbering. Let's get this over with." She grabbed Sasha's head and turned it towards her, then gave her a quick peck on the lips. "There, we're done."

Sasha was in such a state of shock that Ymir had to drag her out from under the mistletoe. Levi turned to look at the rest of the Survey Corps.

"We're going in one by one, got it? If you want to kiss someone, wait until we're all inside."

He watched each person go in, making sure nobody snuck a kiss and delayed the dinner. Just as the last person was going in, however, Levi felt a tug on his sleeve, and he suddenly found himself under the mistletoe...with Hanji.

"Gotcha, Levi!"

Ignoring the stares they were getting from the rest of the corps, Levi sighed. "Fine, but make it quick. I have a kitchen to clean."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question for you guys: would you like me to separate the Survey Corps chapters and Cadet Squad chapters into two different fics, as part of a series?


	10. Not-So-Dead Languages Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connie's bilingual and no one expected it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter runs on the assumption that the common language of the walls is some form of German (most likely, it would warp over time).

Ymir and Connie were fighting. Again.

"You know what I think, Ymir? I think you're just jealous."

"Jealous of what? I could make the top ten if I wanted."

"Yeah, right. You're just saying that because you don't want to admit I'm better than you."

"Better at what? I'm better-looking, smarter, taller--"

"Leave my height out of this!"

The argument was getting more and more heated, the volume hiking up. Any minute now, Shadis would hear and all hell would break loose.

As the fighting reached a climax, Eren slammed his mug down on the table. "Will you two shut up?"

Connie whirled. "<<Fuck off,>> Eren!"

Immediately, he slapped a hand over his mouth, looking horrified. "Ohmigosh I'm so sorry I can't believe I said that shit shit shit--"

It took a moment for Connie to realize that Eren was staring at him, not in anger, but in confusion--as was everyone else.

"What was that?"

Connie lowered his hand. "Uh...um, you don't...know?" He looked around. "None of you...know..."

No, that wasn't right. Armin's face was lit up with a smile. "I didn't know you speak English, Connie!"

"Huh?"

"That was English, right? Are you fluent? Do you think you could teach me?"

Taken aback by Armin's rapid-fire questions, Connie could only nod. He only dimly registered that Ymir seemed impressed.

Eren, meanwhile, looked even more confused. "Armin, what are you talking about? What's...Anglis?"

"English," Armin corrected. "It's a language. Most people regard it as one of many dead languages--you know, languages humanity gradually stopped speaking, and forgot--so I never thought I'd actually get to meet a fluent English speaker! This is so exciting!"

* * *

Connie wasn't used to having people look at him with admiration; usually, he elicited pity, annoyance, ridicule, or laughter. As great as it was to have people hanging on his every word, he couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable.

"Connie! How do you say 'titan' in English?"

"What about 'bread'? Or 'meat'?"

"What's the word for 'soldier'?"

"<<Titan. Bread. Meat. Soldier.>>"

Eren spoke up. "Hey, Connie, what was that thing you said to me earlier?"

In that moment, it was impossible to tell Connie from a statue. He whimpered. Armin looked uncomfortable.

"Come on, what was it?"

"Eren," Armin said, "it's not that important."

"No, I want to know." Eren's eyes narrowed. "What's the problem, Connie?"

"Heh..." Connie forced a smile. "I-I-I said...fuck off..."

Eren's eye twitched. Armin cringed.

Ymir grinned. "Oh, this is getting interesting."

 

 


	11. The Big Book of Names

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armin finds an old book in the library, and the crew spends way too much time dwelling on the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a Survey Corps chapter.

"Guys! Guys, look what I found!"

Eren shifted out of the way as Armin landed hard on his knees, unbalanced by the heavy book in his hands. They were in the courtyard of the Survey Corps headquarters, with the rest of the group from the 104th Cadet Squad--with the exception of Mikasa, who was on a mission and due back around dinnertime.

"What is it, Armin?"

"It's a book of names! It's got all sorts of information, like meanings and origin!" Without waiting for questions, he opened to a page and read, " _Armin. Usage: German. From the name Arminius, meaning 'whole, universal'._ "

"Sweet!" Sasha exclaimed. "Looks like Instructor Shadis was wrong about your name being stupid!"

"What's it say about my name?" Eren asked.

"Let's see. _Eren. Usage: Turkish_."

"Turkish?"

"Yeah. It was a country in an area called the Middle East." Armin pointed to a map on the page. "Your lucky, Eren, your name is from the outside world."

Eren beamed. "What does it mean?"

" _Saint or holy person_."

Jean burst out laughing. "That's an image. Saint Eren, patron of anger management."

"Shut it, horseface! Your name is probably lame!"

"Actually," Armin said, "it means _God is gracious_. Your parents must have been really happy when you were born, Jean!"

Jean's expression softened. He looked almost bashful.

"What's Mikasa mean?" Eren asked.

"Actually, her name isn't in here. Ackerman is, though. It was a surname for tenant farmers a long time ago." Seeing the confused expressions, Armin explained: "Tenant farmers were peasants who worked on someone else's land. They didn't own it. And...well, it's probably a stretch, but I think there was a phrase in Spanish--that's a dead language now--"

" _No es. Yo hablo español._ "

Armin looked up. "Squad Leader Hanji!"

She beamed. "I study dead languages in my spare time. I couldn't help showing off! What are you talking about?"

"Armin's telling us what our names mean!" Sasha said. "He was telling us about Mikasa's name!"

As Hanji sat down, Armin continued: "As I was saying, there's a phrase in Spanish, _mi casa_ , which sounds like Mikasa. It means _my house_. Like I said, it's a stretch, but if you took that and the meaning of Ackerman and put them together, it could mean _my home is not my own_."

For a moment, everyone was silent, thinking about what that meant. Armin and Eren made eye contact, understanding passing between them.

"Dammit, Armin!" Connie said suddenly. "You made it sad! Come on, let's lighten up. What's my name?"

Armin paused before flipping through the book. "Is Connie short for anything?"

Connie grimaced. "Yeah, Conrad. I hate that name, though. Please don't look that one up."

Armin nodded. "Okay. There are multiple entries for Connie, most of them diminutives. There are a couple male names, though... _Connie. Usage: Irish. Means 'strong-willed' or 'wise.' Also a shortened form of Conlan, which means 'hero'._ "

Ymir laughed. "Wise? Connie's the antithesis of wise!"

"He certainly lives up to the strong-willed part, though," Reiner pointed out.

"What does my name mean?" Hanji asked, leaning forward.

Armin flipped to the back of the book. "I don't see your first name, but your surname is here. It's Greek for life."

"My turn!" Sasha squealed. "What does my name mean, Armin?"

_"Sasha. Usage: English. Variant of Alexandra, which means 'defender of mankind.'"_

"Your name is awesome, Sash!" Connie exclaimed.

Jean snorted. "It's a more fitting name-meaning for Mikasa, though."

Reiner laughed. "I'm trying to imagine Mikasa as a Sasha, and it's just not working."

"What does Annie mean?" Berthold asked shyly. Armin flipped to the front of the book.

" _Annie. Diminutive of Anne, meaning 'blessed with grace.'"_

"That sounds about right," Berthold said.

Reiner elbowed his friend. "Okay, Bertl's next!"

Armin nodded again. "The spelling is different, but Berthold's name means 'bright ruler.' Hoover is also a surname for a tenant farmer."

"Interesting contradiction there," Hanji said, winking in Berthold's direction. He began to sweat harder.

Armin flipped through the book of his own accord. " _Reiner. Usage: German. Combination of 'army' and 'counsel'."_

Reiner puffed out his chest with pride. "Pretty good name for a soldier, eh?"

Berthold mumbled something. 

"Oh, oh, oh! Do Erwin next!" Hanji exclaimed.

" _Erwin. Usage: German, Dutch. From the German name Hariwini, which translates to 'army friend.'_

"It's almost scary how accurate that is," Eren said.

Armin looked around. "Anyone else?"

"Marco."

All the air seemed to abandon the courtyard when Jean spoke. Even Hanji, who had never met Marco, could tell by Jean's tone what the name meant to everyone.

Armin tried to catch Jean's eye, but the other boy seemed unable to make eye contact. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Taking a deep breath, Armin lowered his eyes and dutifully looked up the name. " _Marco. Usage: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, German, Greek. A form of Marcus, a name derived from Mars, the Roman god of war. Can also..._ " Armin's voice broke.

"What is it?" Eren asked. "What's the matter, Armin?"

Armin shook his head. " _Can also mean...guardian."_

Jean sighed and ran a hand over his face. When he removed it, he looked composed; the only indication of emotion was the way his jaw tensed. "Thanks, Armin. Let's look up something else, before I start crying like a wimp."

For once, Eren and Jean seemed to understand one another. Eren reached over and carefully searched through the book.

" _Carla. Usage: Portuguese. Means 'strong one'."_ He turned the pages again. " _Grisha. Usage: Russian. Derived from Gregory, meaning 'watchful, alert'."_

"Your parents?" Hanji asked.

Eren nodded. To Armin's surprise, he seemed...not cheerful, but not quite sad, either. More like...proud. "Their names go well with our last name. Strong hunter, watchful hunter..."

"Holy hunter," Jean said.

"Don't start!" Ymir said exasperated.

"Okay, now do Levi!" Hanji laughed. "If his name means tall, I'll never let him hear the end of it!"

"Oi, Shitty-Glasses. What are you doing sitting in the grass? You'll get stains on your pants."

Levi had the same effect on the former cadets as their instructor had had: they all froze instinctually. Armin looked up, fearing the worst.

Hanji leaned her head back to look up at Levi, who was standing over her. "Arlert is telling us what our names mean. We're looking yours up right now."

Levi's gaze slid to Armin. "Is that so. What does it say?"

Armin gulped and forced himself to look up the name, hoping against hope that it had nothing to do with height. " _Levi. Usage: Hebrew, Dutch, English. Means 'united' or 'attached'."_

Hanji looked disappointed, but Eren's eyes shone with admiration. "That's awesome! It's really fitting for a leader!"

Levi grunted. "It's just a name. Nowadays people rarely choose names for their kids based on meanings. That book was banned years ago."

"Quit being a grumpy-pants, Levi!" Hanji said. "Even if it's useless, it's still fun to see what our names mean. Some of them are really accurate, and some of them are funny."

Levi didn't respond, so Hanji began to poke his leg. "C'mon, Levi. Give us a name." No response. "Okay, then. Armin, look up Petra."

Eren shot Hanji a look. Armin bit his lip, but did as he was told.

" _Petra. Usage: Various. Means--_ "

"Rock," said Levi.

The group looked up in surprise.

"Gunther," Levi said. "Usage, German. Means warrior. Eld. Usage, German. Form of Elde, means warrior. It's a woman's name. Bossard. Surname of one who defends and protects a castle."

"Levi..." Hanji murmured.

"You told me to give you names, so I did. I don't care if you waste precious fucking hours looking up the meanings of names, just don't do it in the grass. We're going to have to get you all new pants."

With that, Levi turned on his heel and left. No one moved from their seats. Then, in a delayed reaction, the floodgates opened.

" _Thomas. Usage: Hebrew, Greek. Means twin."_

_"Mina. Usage: German, Dutch. As a German name, it means love; as a Dutch name, it means protector."_

_"Franz. Usage: German. Means free."_

_"Ian. Usage: Hebrew. Means 'gift from God'."_

_"Zacarius. Usage: Spanish. Means 'remembered by God.'"_

They went through their dead comrades' names quickly, passing the book around. It took them a long time to run out of names.

"What now?" Ymir asked.

Sasha took the book from Reiner. "Let's see here...aha! _Keith. Usage: Scottish, Welsh, Irish. Used to denote someone who lives in the woods. Can also mean "from the battlefield."_

"Keith? As in, Instructor Shadis?" Connie asked.

Hanji tilted her head. "Shadis used to be the commander, you know. He led tons of expeditions into the woods, trying to kill the titans, but we didn't know as much about them as we do now. We weren't aware of the weak spot. They used to attack from all directions, you know. Much higher casualty rates."

"His name is more accurate than I thought," Sasha mumbled.

"You gotta be kidding me," Jean said. "I'm feeling sorry for Shadis. I'm actually feeling sorry for him."

"I feel like I should've gotten to know him more," Christa said.

"Nah," Hanji said, "he wanted you guys to hate him. It was important for your training. It's his calling, really. He's so intense, it's easy for him to keep cadets in line."

"Not with our group, it wasn't," Reiner laughed.

"Speaking of intense people," Jean said. "Eren, maybe you should retire from the Corps and become an instructor. You'd make a good Shadis."

Eren spoke to Jean, but looked at Connie, grinning. "<<Fuck off,>> Jean."

After that, looking up names became impossible. Hanji jumped across the circle at Eren, demanding to know where he'd learned English, because you wouldn't _believe_ how hard it was to find resources for that at HQ; when he pointed at Connie, she practically attached herself to the poor guy for the rest of the day, demanding lessons, until Levi threatened to shove a mop sideways up her ass if she didn't stop harassing the recruits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Resources are behindthename.com and meaning-of-names.com
> 
> The closest I could find to a patron saint of anger management was Saint Jerome, patron saint against anger.
> 
> I really hope my Spanish is correct. I'm in my second year of learning it, so I'm not super confident in my abilities.
> 
> Ymir's name meaning can be found on her wiki page, and it's from some sort of mythology, if I remember correctly, so I left it out. I didn't do Christa because (GIANT SPOILER ALERT) her name is fake (END SPOILER).
> 
> Auruo and Oluo don't seem to be actual names. Erd doesn't exist, but Elde does. Petra's name is used in so many countries that I didn't bother to write them all out.


	12. The Times They Understood One Another, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rare moments of comradeship between unlikely people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is all over the place, timeline-wise.
> 
> Number 1 is set very early in the trainee period  
> Number 2 is set about the time that we met Franz and Hannah in the anime  
> Number 3 is set shortly after joining the Survey Corp

**1.**

Annie wasn't used to getting three full meals a day. She'd spent years living on handouts. It was a dog-eat-dog world, and she had mastered the art of survival.

That didn't necessarily means she always got meat when it was served. Sometimes, like today, she would fall behind just enough to watch the person in front of her take the last bit of meat, leaving her stomach to grumble in protest.

Sitting in the mess hall eating her meatless stew and bread, Annie gave no indication that she was disappointed in how events had transpired. It wouldn't do any good to whine, after all.

That was why she was so shocked when a fork reached across and deposited a large piece of meat in her stew.

"I thought you might like some," Sasha said, adding another piece to the bowl.

Annie didn't say anything, but the look of gratitude that slipped through her usual mask was reward enough for Sasha.

**2.**

Reiner had managed to lose Berthold in the crowd that lined the streets, waiting to catch a glimpse of the Survey Corps. He hid behind a stack of crates, pulled his legs up to his chest, and buried his head in his knees.

"Hey, what's the matter, boy?"

Reiner looked up, taking in the Garrison uniform and the goofy grin on the man's face. "There's nothing wrong."

"Bullshit. I'm not as stupid as I look, you know. Come on, tell ol' Hannes."

Something in the man's eyes told Reiner that he wasn't getting out of this one. With a sigh, he said, "I just feel guilty. Like it's all my fault. No, I _know_ it's my fault, and it's just eating at me."

"I know what you mean," the man said. To Reiner's surprise, he sat down beside him. "It doesn't matter if you made the right choice at the time, or if you couldn't have changed an outcome if you'd tried, the what-ifs always haunt you. 'What if I'd stayed? What if I'd gotten her out? What if I'd fought back?' There are times when it seems overwhelming, right? The only thing you can do is accept it. Look at the good things your actions have done."

"What if there isn't anything good?"

"There's always something good. Friends you never would have met, changes you never would have made, lessons you never would have learned." Hannes turned his head to look at Reiner. "I've got stuff I regret, too. Lives I wish I could've saved. I don't know what's bothering you, and I'm not expecting you to tell me. We may not be in the same boat, but I'm willing to bet we're at least in the same fleet."

 _I highly doubt that_ , Reiner thought, but he appreciated the man's words nonetheless. "Thanks, Hannes. I needed that."

"No problem. Hey, I don't think I got your name."

"Reiner."

"Well, Reiner, good luck with whatever's got you down in the dumps."

"You, too."

**3.**

"Mikasa."

"Yes, Jean?" Mikasa briefly registered that Jean seemed to be in control of his blushing. That was new.

"I just--look, I know that you know that we have very different opinions of Eren. We've never gotten along as well as I've wanted to because of that. And I know you're not looking for a relationship or anything, but..."

"Is there a point to this, Jean?" Mikasa asked.

Jean stood up straighter. "What I'm trying to say is, I get it now. You're afraid that if you get close to anyone, you'll only get hurt when you lose them, right?"

Mikasa blinked, taken aback--because Jean was right. Somehow, he had come to understand exactly what was going on in her head.

"Jean..." Something clicked in Mikasa's mind. "This is about Marco, isn't it?"

Jean looked down at the floor. "Yeah. I don't ever want to feel like that again. It's hard enough with one person. I don't know a lot about you, I realize that, but I think...I think you've probably had it a lot worse than me. So I get it. And if I ever made you uncomfortable, I'm sorry."

"You were never too forward, Jean. There's nothing to apologize for."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to stop making these sad.


	13. Tents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The cadets are forced to get to know one another...by sharing an extremely small space.

Shadis had kept the cadets on their feet all day, trekking through the woods with heavy packs on their backs. They rarely got a chance to rest, except for quick meals and bathroom breaks, so when Shadis called a halt for the night, there was a loud, simultaneous sigh of relief from every person assembled.

Their relief didn't last long. They were given fifteen minutes to set up all the tents, and then, before anyone could unroll their sleeping bag, they received some unwelcome news.

"You will not be allowed to choose the person you are sharing a tent with!" Shadis barked. "You kids need to learn to act as a group, regardless of who that group may consist of. I'm going to be assigning you partners for the remainder of this excursion!"

The glare that Shadis wore silenced any discouraged groans.

* * *

 

"Sometimes I really hate that guy," Ymir complained. "I was really looking forward to sharing a cozy little tent with Christa, but  _no_ , I had to get stuck with the biggest guy in the entire squad!"

Reiner grunted in response. "I'm not exactly thrilled, either."

"Whatever. Let's just go to sleep and get this over with...hey, stay on your side of the tent!"

"I  _am_ on my side of the tent! You're the one taking up all the room!"

"I thought we were splitting this half-and-half! You call that a half?"

The tent entrance shifted, and Shadis poked his head in. "Shut your traps and go the fuck to sleep!"

* * *

 

This night would definitely go down as one of the most uncomfortable nights of Jean's life. His left side ached, but he didn't dare turn over; the last thing he wanted to do was bump a sleeping Annie Leonhardt. 

At least, Jean  _thought_ she was asleep. He honestly hadn't bothered to check. The second-to-last thing he wanted to do was get caught peering at her like some sort of creep.

 _Damn Shadis and his co-ed sleeping arrangements,_ Jean thought. 

His side was  _really_ starting to hurt, though, so Jean risked a glance over his shoulder. Annie was facing away from him, so he couldn't tell if she was actually sleeping, but he deemed it worth a shot and turned onto his back with a sigh of relief.

Which quickly turned into a high-pitched whimper when his hand accidentally brushed Annie's back and he found himself pinned under her weight with a knife pressed against his throat.

"Mercy?"

Annie narrowed her eyes, most likely assessing the situation. Without another word, she flipped back over, and it was as if she'd never moved.

Jean was as still as a statue the rest of the night.

* * *

 

Shadis was patrolling the tent circle for the final time when Christa and Marco poked their heads out.

"We're sorry to bother you, sir..." Marco began.

"..it's just that, Mina usually reads a story to me when I have trouble sleeping," Christa finished, "and since we're not allowed to move tents..."

She didn't have to finish her sentence. Shadis knew what she was asking, and there was no way he was going to do it.

"Fine. What do you want me to read?"

_Goddamn it._

It was just so hard to say no to those puppy eyes.

Christa and Marco beamed, and the shorter of the two held out a small book. "This one, please."

Shadis sat down outside the tent and took a look at the cover of the book. "..."

Marco and Christa waited expectantly. With a sigh, Shadis opened to the first page. "The windows are dark in the town, child, the whales huddle down in the deep. I'll read you one very last book if you swear, you'll go the fuck to sleep."

* * *

 

Armin's stomach growled for the eighteenth time that night. It had to be nearly midnight, and Sasha was  _still_ awake, and she was  _still_ eating.  _  
_

To distract himself, Armin tried to analyze the way Shadis had paired everyone up. The Marco-and-Christa team was a no-brainer--those two could get along with anyone, so there was no one who would provide a social challenge. A lot of the teams seemed to be more about splitting up the cliques than anything else; Franz and Hannah were predictable parted, and the Shiganshina trio were all forced into separate tents. But for the life of him, Armin couldn't figure out why Shadis had thought he needed to get to know _Sasha_.

 _Maybe because I don't feel like I need to get to know her_ , Armin thought. It was as good a theory as any, but it didn't change the fact that he was about five seconds away from ripping the potato out of Sasha's hands and eating it right in front of her. At this point, he didn't care  _how_ it was or was not cooked, or  _where_ on her body she had hidden the thing; if she didn't share soon, Armin was seriously considering kicking her out of the tent.

* * *

 

Eren was used to sharing a room with another dude-- _multiple_ dudes, since the barracks were essentially one long room. He prided himself on being less weirded out by the close male proximity (as opposed to Thomas, who spent two weeks perched on his bunk like a hawk guarding a nest).

There was a world of difference between the spacious barracks and the cramped interior of a tent, as Eren soon found out. Especially when the person you were sharing with was a sweaty, six-foot-four giant of a boy with a talent for taking up more room than a sumo wrestler (not that Eren knew what a sumo wrestler was).

Even thought Bertholdt had started out in a rather uncomfortable-looking ball--Eren had to feel sorry for the guy; he barely fit in the tent--Eren had seen the many strange positions Bertholdt tended to sleep in, and he anticipated the knee digging into the small of his back hours before it actually happened. 

 _Let the interpretive weather dance begin_ , he thought to himself, growling as he scooted as far away from Bertholdt as possible.

That didn't prevent a foot from dangling over his chest half an hour later.

* * *

 

When Connie found out he was going to be sharing a tent with Mikasa, he made sure to go to bed early. He wanted to avoid the awkward "division-of-the-tent, which-way-should-I-be-facing" dilemmas that the rest of the 104th seemed to be facing. 

Connie was an active sleeper; he was second only to Bertholdt when it came to weird sleeping positions. Most mornings he was spread out like a starfish, with Jean curled in a ball on the adjacent mattress, grumbling about the foot digging into his back. 

Somehow, Connie didn't think this would go over well with Mikasa.

He made sure to face Mikasa's side of the tent at the outset, so his left side wouldn't be in pain all through the night, and so Mikasa would be obligated to face away from him instead of the other way around. He was feigning when Mikasa entered the tent, and had to suppress a smirk.

Connie slept surprisingly well, considering he was laying on rock-hard ground next to the strongest fighter in the 104th. The next morning, he smiled at the tent ceiling.  _That wasn't bad at all!_

Stretching, Connie rolled onto his side...and was met by the sight of a half-awake Mikasa glaring at him through narrowed eyes.

His scream woke the entire camp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just imagine Shadis reading "Go The Fuck To Sleep" XD
> 
> BTW, Marco and Christa totally had a bet going there. Ymir owes them five bucks.


End file.
